Cobalt-Catalyzed C(sp2)-H Allylation of Biphenyl Amines with Unbiased Terminal Olefins

Org Lett. 2019 Nov 1;21(21):8842-8846. doi: 10.1021/acs.orglett.9b03484. Epub 2019 Oct 22.

Abstract

Unactivated olefins usually react poorly in conventional alkenylation reactions. Their introduction via C-H activation is limited to aromatic acids. Herein, we disclose a C-H functionalization protocol of aromatic amines with unactivated olefins, which shows exclusive allylic selectivity for the distal ring of the biphenyl system by exploiting a readily available cobalt(II) catalyst. The allylation proceeds smoothly involving a broad set of unbiased olefins and biaryls, giving access to the functionalization of the biphenyl scaffold.